Vehicle-wheel.



0. P. DOWNING.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED DEc.4,I9I1,

1,173,490. Panted' Fab. 29, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

@gin

0, s. GWNNG.

v'eefm WHEEL. FLCATION FILED DEC. 4; gl.. FSQ Patented Feb, 29, 191%?.

2 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

entran sTATEs -Pafrnnr oraison,-

or'ro 1.,DOWNING, or rncos, grExAs, Assrenon 'ro nOWNrNG rnnunar'rc WHEEL COMPANY, A CORPORATION or A12-mona. l

vEHIoLE-WHEEL.- l

To lall whom t may concern.'

v Be it'known that I, OTTO P. DOWNING,

citizen of the United States, residing at Pecos, in the county of Reeves and State of Texas, have invented certain new and usful Improvements in VehicleYVheels, of which the following` is a. specification.

This invention relates to vehicle wheels, and has as itsf object to provide a wheel which will possess the same elasticity as a pneumatic tired wheel, although provided with solid rubber tires.

The wheel of the invention belongs to that type in which a pneumatic cushion is arranged between a fixed hub and a fioating hub, this cushion being designed to absorb shocks in the same manneras does the ordinary pneumatic tire. The wheels of this type, as usually constructed, present the disadvantage that should the pneumatic cushion become punctured, or should it blow out, due to being subjected to eXtraordinarily heavy pressure, the wheel is rendered practically useless, as it cannot be used withralt danger of permanently injuring or breaking the connecting parts between the fixed and floating hubs. For this reason, such wheels present but little advantage over an ordinary pneumatic tired wheel.

It is therefore the primary aim of the present inventionioprovide a secondary cushioning or shock absorbing means which will act not only to limit the degree of pressure to which the pneumatic cushion may be subjected, but will also serve as a means for cushioning the connection betweenthe fixed and floating hubs shouldthis cushion become punctured, or should it for any other reason become deflated. The provision of such a secondary cushioning means insures against injury to thc`wheel subsequent to deliation ofy the pneumatic cushion and before such, deflation has been noticed by the driver of the vehicle, supported by the wheel, or before the vehicle can be brought to a stop.

A further aim of the invention is to provide novel means for rigidly connecting the rfixed andfloating'hubs of the wheel so that they can have no relative movement this means being lemployed subsequent to deiation' ofthe pneumatic cushion, l

'Afurther object of the invention is to provide a wheelofthe type mentioned so Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ret. saisis@ Application led December 4, 1911. Serial No. 663,845.

constructed that the pneumatic cushion. may" be readily removed at anytime, and'anew cushion inserted, this being .accomplished without the removal any of the bolts', orl like fastening devices. v`

Fora full understandin of the invert-- tion reference .is to be had the following description and accompanying drawing, in which `Figure 1 is-a view'in side elevation and pa tly in section of the wheel embodying thelpresent invention.'v Fig. 2 is :l-,vertical transverse sectional view therethrough. Fig. 3 is a view partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal section of one of the shock absorbers of the wheel. Fig. l is av similar view showing another type Ofshock absorbers. Fig. 5 is a. detail vertical transu verse sectional view illustrating theV means for rigidlyconnecting the fixed and Heating hubs of the wheel. Fig. 6 is a detail view wheel is illustrated as comprising a sleeveportion 1, designed to it'the spindle of the A axle upon which the wheel is mounted, and integral with this sleeveportion 1, is a head vided with an annular outwardly bulged port-ion 3. Radial reinforcing ribs 4 are formed upon the outer face of this head 2 and preferably extend from the inner end of .the sleeve4 1 to the-peripheries of the said head. An annular shoulder or` seat 5 is in tegral with the inner face of the saidhead 2 and with the sleeve-portion 1 of the hub, and this shoulder is tapered in the direction of the outer end of the said sleeve-portion, as clearly. shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings0 Near its outer end, the shoulder vis reduced. in diameterand is threaded asyindicated by the numeral 6. An annularhead 7 constitutes a portion of the fixed hub of .thegwheel and has itsl inner periphery threaded'as at 8 and the head is screwed onto the threaded portion of the shoulder 5, as illustrated in Fig. 7 whereby it will be positioned oppo 9G 2 which is substantially circular and is prosite and in spaced relation to the head 2. The head 7 is formed, as in the case of the head 2, with an annular ,outwardly bulged portion 9 and the bulged portions 3 and 9 of the heads 2 and 7 respectively, are oppositely located and are designed to receive between Athem the pneumatic cushion' of the Wheel, as will be presently explained. The head 7 has'its outer periphery threaded as at 10 and an annular rim member 11 is threaded .onto the head 7in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2 and completes the fixed hub. As will be presently explained, the annular rim member 11 is held rigid with respect to the head 2 so that when desired, the head 7 may be rotated to unthread it from between the shoulder 5 and the said rim member without disturbing the .rim member.

A tapered ring 12 is removably litted upon the tapered shoulder 5 whichA surrounds the sleeve-portion 1 of the fixed hub,

` and due to'the fact that this ring is tapered it may be readily removed or set into place. rlhis ring is formed exteriorly and circumferentially with a shallow seat 13 in which rests the inner peripheral portion of the pneumatic cushion of. the wheel, which cuslaN ion is indicated by the numeral 1i and re sembles a small pneumatic tire. An exteriorly tapered ring 15 is held between the heads 2 and 7 in a manner to be presentlyy ing hub of the wheel, which hub will now be :tally described.

The floating hub of the Wheel includes an annular interiorly tapered body 17 which is of a thickness to fit slidably between the outer portion of the head 2 and the 'annular rim member 11. This body member 17 is formed in its opposite sides with annular grooves 13 in which are seated packing rings 19 having contact withy the opposite sides of the head 2 and rim member 11. In order to exclude dust and dirt from between the sides 'of the body 17 and the opposing faces of the head 2'and rim member 11, a strip 20 of'rubber or cloth, or a combination of the' two is arranged. about the wheel at the line of con` tact between the said head and rim member and the body `17, and these strips are held in place by means of wires or rings 21 sprung into grooves 22 formed in the outer peripheries of the head 2 of the'rirn member 11 and at each side of the peripheries of the body-member 17. By referring to Fig. 2,'itwill be observed that the body-` member 17 may have free movement with relation to the parts et the xed hub heuWay being interfered with by the strips 20.

At intervals, the body-member 17 of the floating hub isformed with sockets23 in which are fitted the butts 2st of spokes 25. These spokes 25 support, at their outer ends,

- the rim 26 of the wheel, in or upon which rim is iitted a solid rubber tire 27. At suitable intervals, the annular body 17 of the floating hub is formed with openings 28, the walls of which are cylindrical and in these openings are fitted shock absorbing devices which will now be described.

In the construction of this wheel, there are employed other types of shock absorbmg devices which are auxiliary to the pneumat-ic cushion 14e and the shock absorbers of one type are pneumatic and those of the other type are of cushioning material. Each of the pneumatic shock absorbers is in the nature ofa hollow, cylindrical, inflatable, chamber, and is made up of an outer layer or sheath of canvas, indicated b v the nu-V meral 28, and an inner layer 29 of rubber, and in one end ot' each of these absorbers there is arranged an air valve 30 designed for the attachment of a pump whereby the absorber may be inflated. The opening or passage through this absorber is indicated by the numeral 31. Each absorber ofthe other type mentioned above comprises a c vlindrical metallic casing 32 formed at one end with an inwardly projecting annular flange 33 and interiorly threaded. at its opposite end. An annular nut or head'34 is threaded into the last mentioned end of the casing 32 andarranged within the casing between the flange 33 and the said head 3l are a number of annular disks 35 of spongy rubber or similar cushioning material. The inner peripheries of the annular head .34. is formed with oppositely located notches 36 for the engagement with the head of a' spanner wrench by which the head may be rotated to compress the disks 35 to the desired degree, so that the entire bank of disks Ywill possess a greater or less degree of' elasticity. 1t willbe observed that the openings in the disks 35 are of less diameter l than the openings defined by the inner pe ripheries of the flange 33 and head 34, and

spection of Fig. 2 of the drawings, that the In. as-

absorbers of both types are of a length equal t'o the thickness of the body 17.

Bolts 36 are inserted through alined openings 37 and, 38111 the head 2 and rim meml berl 11, respectively, and each of these is tween which. it is arranged without in any4V provided at one end with a. head 39 which bears against the rim member 11, and at its To nire-eso other end is threaded into a sleeve nut el() ZWhCl, in turn ,is threaded into aholloir inthan that of the said openings.

vvFrom the foregoing' it will be readily nn- -derstood .that the. floating hub may have a limited movement 'with respect toy the fixed @hub before the bolts 3 6 .will engage with the openings in the shock -absorbers and the floating hub is cushioned in this movement .bythe 'pneumatic cushion it. Should the shock imparted to theivheel be so great as vto cause .the bolts 3G to engage iviththe Walls of .the openings inthe shock absorbers l through :which they extend, the absorbers will be compressed to a greater or less degree.l it beng understood that greater resistanceiis offered b v the absorbers *which yinclude the filling ofv the soft rubber disks 35,.than b v the pneumatic. shock absorbers, and itwill .be further understood that shock absorbers of. tvvo different types capable of offering resistance. in different degrees. are

employed, forlthe reasonthat it' all of the' shock yabsorbers.ivere of` the type including the disks too great a resistance.would be offered, and on the other handif all the absorbers were of the pneumatic type, a ldeflation of any one or several of the absorbs ers would 1n part render the The advantage ofhaving theA .bolts 36 mounted at their threaded ends in sleevenuts l() which in turn are threaded into bosses 41 upon the head 2 of the fixed hub is that should the shank of anyv one of the bolts'becoine broken. a greater or less pon' tion thereof would "still beV supported in the opening in the shockhbsorbers. and at. the time of removing the broken bolt for the piu-pose ot' substituting a new. one'. ity-Ould only be necessary to unseren' the sleeve-nutfromthe boss, and this nuti would draw out` necting or uniting the fixed and floating.

I. hubs -so that even should the cushion ll and one or several ofthe shock absorbers be rendei-ed inoperativelbv reason of deflation,

the wheel itself would not be rendered useless, and this means consists of a number ofy bolts e2 which are designed to be threaded into opening el?) formed in the head 2 of the fixed hub. these bolts being provided-.with Unthreaded conoidal heads beyond their threaded portions. which heads indicated by the numeral aredesigned to enter similarly formed openings Ll5 in the annular body 17 of the floating hub,l When thesebolts 42 are'not in use, the openings i3 are Wheel useless for the time being.

closed by means-of bolts having comparatively short'shanlrs, whichshanlmare in tactV so short as not to contacter engage with the adjacent sideof the said vannular stem. vat and-adjacent itsouter end is inte-v riorly enlarged vas at -lSandf-hasfitted therein` a ball-valve i9 andv a valve-seat `5() against which the valve l) is-"designedto rest to prevent escapeof :air fromthe said 'cushimn the lsaid end of the stem., ofthe valve and serves as .an 4ac lditional means forprventing the escape of air.-v f

From the foregoing. .description of the invention it vvill be seen that,thereisprovided l a Wheel which possesses the desired degree ofresiliency and possesses. all the advantagesof a pneumatic tiredvvheeh although .possessing none of the chsadvantages therefor thefreason-fthat evenlshould the pneu,-

matic cushions of,. the wheel of this invention become deflated, the {ivheel is not rendered useless. and theoperator ofthe yautomobile or .other yehiclei` supported by the wheel. is not required tol'eave, hisgmachine standing until a new tir'e can 'beappl-ied. whiclris frequently necessary in the use of the ordinary pneumatic tired. Wheels, for the reason that they cannot be run over-[rough roads on theirbare rims.

Having thus described the invention what 1s claimed as new 1s l- 1,111 a .vehicle wheel, a. relativelyfixed .hub exteriorly of substantially.. lfrusto-co'ni-l cal form. the smaller end-'ofthe hub being formed lwith a shoulder.v a tapered Vring .fitted thereon inward vof the shoulder', a

floating hub including` an interiorlytapered annular bodv disposed to surround the relatively fixed hub, a tapered ring fitted Within said body` a cushionconfinedbetvveen the 'i'.ings, 'and spaced heads, one forinednpon the hub and vthe other detachably engaging therewith and bearing against the said shoulder, said heads being-dished toy conform to and bear against the sides-of the cushion. f l w 2. In a vehicle wheel, a relatively fixed hub having an exteriorly tapered body portion` a floating hub having an annular body interiorly tapered and disposed to surround the said body of the fixed hub, the said fixed hub further including a stationary head and a rim fixed with respect to and spaced therefrom, an interiorly tapered ring fitted upon :l cap 51 isremovably fitted upon- .the tapered-.body by the fixed hub, an exte- ,-riorly tapered ring fitted within the tapered body of the floating hub, apneumatic cushion arranged between the rings, and a head member threaded onto the body ofthe fixed hub and into the rim of the said fixed hub.

3.In a vehicle wheel, a relatively fixed hubexteriorly of substantially frusto-conical form, an interiorly tapered ring fitted upon said hub and having its outer face substantially cylindrical and formed Withl a circnmscribing transversely curved, concave cushlon seat 1n 1ts outer face. a floatlng hub face substantially cylindrical and formed.

with a circuinscribing concave seat, a fioating hub including'an annular body disposed tosurround the relatively fixed hub, an exteriorly tapered ring fitted within the said body and having a transversely curved convex face,v a cushion interposed between the rings and resting in said seat and spaced heads carried by the fixed hub and holding the said rings and cushion against lateral displacement.

5.In a vehicle wheel` a relatively fixed hub, exteriorly of substantially frusto conical form, and threaded at its minor end, an

exteriorly tapered ring fitted upon the said hub. ya floating hub including an annular body ydisposed to surround the relatively fixed hub, a ring fitted wit-hin the said body. a head carried by the fixed `hub and fixed with relation thereto. a rilnlmember fixed with relation to the head and spaced with respect thereto. the ri1n-me1nber being of annular form and having its inner periphery; threaded. an annular head having its 1nner and outer periphery threaded respectively onto the threaded portion of the hub and into the threaded inner periphery of the rim member. and a cushion disposed between the said rings and confined between thel said heads.

6. In a vehicle wheel. a relatively fixed hub, a head Carried by the hub and fixed with respect thereto. a rim member earned by the head and spaced therefrom and` 0f annular form and having its inner periphery threaded, the hub being exteriorly threaded, a fioating hub disposed I'between the said head and the said 'rim member, an

annular head having its inner and-outer pe ripheriesV threaded respectively. onto the threaded portion of the hub and into the said rim member, and a cushion` disposed between the said'hubs.

7. In a vehicle wheel, la relatively fixed.

hub, a fioa-ting hub' assembled therewith, a cushion interposed between the hubs, the

fixed hub having a plurality of openings and the fioating hub having a plurality of tapered openings arranged to register with the openings in the fixed hub, when the hubs are in concentric relation, and a .bolt threaded into each opening in the fixed hub, and having a conoidal head fitting in the corre-4 sponding tapered 'opening inthe floating hub whereby to cause a wedging action between the pin'and the floating hub upon a tendency toward circumferential movement of the floating hub relative to the fixed hub. y

8. In a vehicle wheel, a shock absorber,

com risinO a nonieldine' casin )rovided at one end with a flange and interiorly threaded a't its other end-cushioning disks arranged within the. casing one against another, the said flange constituting an abut! ment for the series of disks, and a head ,threaded into the last mentioned end of the casing and bearing' against the adjacent end-most one of the-series of disks, the saidf disks being formed with registering/boltopenings. v I

9. In a vehicle wheel, a shockabsorber comprising a non-yieldable casing provided at one end with an annular flange, cushioning disks arranged'within the casing one against another. the said flange constituting an abutment for the series of disks. and an annular head adjustably fitted within the casing and bearing against the adjacent endmost one of the series of disks, the said disks being formed with registering openings" forming a passage Lextending .axially through the absorber.

In testimony whereof I affix my slgnaturc 1n presence of two witnesses.

or'ro r. DoWNING. fr. 5.]

lVivtnesses W. MARTIN WATsox, C.. H. MCKXIGHT. 

